Strokes are the third leading cause of death in the United States (causing approximately 177,000 deaths per year) and the number one cause of long-term disability (affecting nearly 5 million people). Strokes result from abrupt damage to the brain or spinal cord caused by an abnormality of the blood supply.
Strokes typically occur in one of two forms: (i) hemorrhagic, which occurs with the rupture of a blood vessel; and (ii) ischemic, which occurs with the obstruction of a blood vessel.
Rapid diagnosis is a key component of stroke management. This is because treatments for ischemic strokes may be contra-indicated for treatment of hemorrhagic strokes and, furthermore, the effectiveness of a particular treatment can be time-sensitive. In particular, the only approved therapy for acute ischemic strokes, i.e., the administration of tPA to eliminate clots, is contra-indicated for hemorrhagic strokes. Furthermore, tPA is most effective if it is administered within 3 hours of the onset of an ischemic stroke. However, current diagnosis times (i.e., the time needed to identify that the patient is suffering from a stroke and to identify the hemorrhagic or ischemic nature of the stroke) frequently exceeds this 3 hour window. As a result, only a fraction of ischemic stroke victims are properly treated with tPA.
Imaging is generally necessary to: (i) distinguish strokes from other conditions; (ii) distinguish between the different types of strokes (i.e., hemorrhagic or ischemic); and (ii) determine suitable treatments. Computerized Tomography (CT) has emerged as the key imaging modality in the diagnosis of strokes. CT scans, including Non-Enhanced CT, CT angiography and CT perfusion, provide the necessary and sufficient information for diagnosing and treating strokes.
Unfortunately, however, the “round-trip” time between the emergency room (where the patient is typically first received) and the radiology department (where the CT machine is typically located) can frequently take up to several hours, even in the best hospitals. As a result, the time spent in transporting the patient from the emergency room to the CT machine and back again can consume critical time which can compromise treatment of the patient.
Thus, there is a need for a new and improved CT machine which is particularly well suited for use in stroke applications.